The book

“Chourmo . . . the rowers in a galley. In Marseilles, you weren’t just from one neighborhood, one project. You were chourmo. In the same galley, rowing! Trying to get out. Together.” In this second installment of Izzo’s legendary Marseilles Trilogy (Total Chaos, Chourmo, Solea) Fabio Montale has left a police force riddled with corruption, racism and greed to follow the ancient rhythms of his native town: the sea, fishing, the local bar, hotly-contested games of belote. But his cousin’s son has gone missing and Montale is dragged back onto the mean streets of a violent, crime-infested Marseilles.

The author

Jean-Claude Izzo
Jean-Claude Izzo was born in Marseilles, France, in 1945. He achieved astounding success with his Marseilles Trilogy (Total Chaos, Chourmo, Solea). In addition to the books in this trilogy, his two novels (The Lost Sailors, and A Sun for the Dying) and one collection of short stories (Vivre fatigue) also enjoy great success with both critics and the public.
Izzo died in 2000 at the age of fifty-five.
The author's official Web site (in french)
Izzo at Wikipedia
Europa Editions and PEN World Voices 2007 collaborate on Black & Blue, homage to Jean-Claude Izzo
Read from Black & Blue: An Introduction to Mediterranean Noir